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CNN Sunday Morning

Interview With Scott Ginsberg

Aired May 04, 2003 - 09:42   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Maybe Elaine on "Seinfeld" was on to something when she suggested everyone wear name tags. You know, the ones that say, "Hello, my name is."
ROBIN MEADE, CNN ANCHOR: Somebody named Scott Ginsberg actually likes wearing those name tags, not just at seminars, but every day, all the time, as he is at this very moment. He is with us now from Portland, Oregon to explain why.

Scott, I'm going to refer first to "Hello, my name is Scott" Web site, where you say, yes, I am a dork. Where in the world did you come up with this idea, and have people been friendlier to you?

SCOTT GINSBERG, ALWAYS WEARS NAME TAG: It was really an experiment that we did for fun when I was at school at Miami University. We were at a seminar, and I had this idea that we should leave our name tags on, just for fun one night. So we did. Believe it or not, people were a lot friendlier and more willing to communicate.

COOPER: Now, you recently were also in New York City, which is my city and kind of a tough city, some might say.

GINSBERG: Yes.

COOPER: How did your name tags go over in the big apple?

GINSBERG: It was interesting in New York City, because I still think people are friendly in New York City, but, you know, they're cynical, and they like to give me a hard time. So, a lot of the bartenders were, hey, Scott, what do you want? Or giving me a hard time. It was very fun, though.

COOPER: Do people think you have accidentally left this thing on? GINSBERG: Yes, a lot of people think I just came from some kind of convention or from work or something. But I always respond with the same answer. No, I always wear it. It makes people friendlier and more sociable.

MEADE: And you even wear it at the beach, Scott, so how often do you have to change this thing?

GINSBERG: I have thousands of these name tags. There is this company called Mako that sends me lots of them. I have them all premade. I have these coming out everywhere. They're all over the place. I pull out a new one whenever I need it.

COOPER: Now, if you take off one shirt, do you slap another one on?

GINSBERG: Like that?

MEADE: He's got layers.

GINSBERG: I brought my jacket. It rains a lot in Portland, so you've got to protect from the elements. So we've got here, the laminated one.

COOPER: You have a waterproof name tag?

GINSBERG: Yes, because it never know. It rains like 300 days a year out here.

MEADE: You know, I'm going to play the devil's advocate here. Don't you think that by wearing a name tag, it allows people who perhaps don't want to put the effort into learning your name, to kind of have a crutch, just kind of say -- you know how you don't make contact with people, with their eyes. Oh, how are you, Anderson.

GINSBERG: Right. It does. And I guess I often wonder -- I wonder do people actually know my name, or are they just looking at it every time. But I think the whole point, though, is that a name tag is great because it helps other people remember. And it helps reduce their uncertainty, which is why it's so great at helping people communicate, because they feel more comfortable.

Dale Carnegie says that the number one word humans like to hear is their own name. So it's the kind of thing that you hate to forget. So it really makes people feel more comfortable.

COOPER: Has this caught on? Do your friends wear it? Do your family members wear it?

GINSBERG: No, not really. I think my whole theory isn't, I don't want everyone to wear name tags. Not at all. I think what I'm trying to do is help everyone realize there are lots of ways to make people friendlier, whether it's a name tag, or smiling at strangers, or opening doors for people, or what have you.

But believe it or not, two of my cousins, Justin and Colin Deitrich, they started doing it a few months after I did. So they're in support of it.

COOPER: So you've milked this thing, I think, for almost all it's worth. You got a book out of it, got a lot of press. What else do you want to do with this name tag thing?

GINSBERG: I've begun motivational speaking, which is excellent because it allows me to talk about my message of approachability and friendliness to a wide audience. So I think that will be the next step.

MEADE: Did you say you intend to wear it until old age, until you're no longer with us?

GINSBERG: Until old age, until no age. I have actually vowed to have this on in my deathbed, in my coffin and everything. And I figure that would be a good way to go out.

MEADE: It must be catching on.

COOPER: Scott Ginsberg, we appreciate you joining us. Good luck to you in your name tag quest.

GINSBERG: Thank you. And I've got to, really quickly, just say hello to my brother, Steve Ginsberg, in Chicago.

MEADE: That was very nice of you.

COOPER: Thanks a lot, Scott.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired May 4, 2003 - 09:42   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Maybe Elaine on "Seinfeld" was on to something when she suggested everyone wear name tags. You know, the ones that say, "Hello, my name is."
ROBIN MEADE, CNN ANCHOR: Somebody named Scott Ginsberg actually likes wearing those name tags, not just at seminars, but every day, all the time, as he is at this very moment. He is with us now from Portland, Oregon to explain why.

Scott, I'm going to refer first to "Hello, my name is Scott" Web site, where you say, yes, I am a dork. Where in the world did you come up with this idea, and have people been friendlier to you?

SCOTT GINSBERG, ALWAYS WEARS NAME TAG: It was really an experiment that we did for fun when I was at school at Miami University. We were at a seminar, and I had this idea that we should leave our name tags on, just for fun one night. So we did. Believe it or not, people were a lot friendlier and more willing to communicate.

COOPER: Now, you recently were also in New York City, which is my city and kind of a tough city, some might say.

GINSBERG: Yes.

COOPER: How did your name tags go over in the big apple?

GINSBERG: It was interesting in New York City, because I still think people are friendly in New York City, but, you know, they're cynical, and they like to give me a hard time. So, a lot of the bartenders were, hey, Scott, what do you want? Or giving me a hard time. It was very fun, though.

COOPER: Do people think you have accidentally left this thing on? GINSBERG: Yes, a lot of people think I just came from some kind of convention or from work or something. But I always respond with the same answer. No, I always wear it. It makes people friendlier and more sociable.

MEADE: And you even wear it at the beach, Scott, so how often do you have to change this thing?

GINSBERG: I have thousands of these name tags. There is this company called Mako that sends me lots of them. I have them all premade. I have these coming out everywhere. They're all over the place. I pull out a new one whenever I need it.

COOPER: Now, if you take off one shirt, do you slap another one on?

GINSBERG: Like that?

MEADE: He's got layers.

GINSBERG: I brought my jacket. It rains a lot in Portland, so you've got to protect from the elements. So we've got here, the laminated one.

COOPER: You have a waterproof name tag?

GINSBERG: Yes, because it never know. It rains like 300 days a year out here.

MEADE: You know, I'm going to play the devil's advocate here. Don't you think that by wearing a name tag, it allows people who perhaps don't want to put the effort into learning your name, to kind of have a crutch, just kind of say -- you know how you don't make contact with people, with their eyes. Oh, how are you, Anderson.

GINSBERG: Right. It does. And I guess I often wonder -- I wonder do people actually know my name, or are they just looking at it every time. But I think the whole point, though, is that a name tag is great because it helps other people remember. And it helps reduce their uncertainty, which is why it's so great at helping people communicate, because they feel more comfortable.

Dale Carnegie says that the number one word humans like to hear is their own name. So it's the kind of thing that you hate to forget. So it really makes people feel more comfortable.

COOPER: Has this caught on? Do your friends wear it? Do your family members wear it?

GINSBERG: No, not really. I think my whole theory isn't, I don't want everyone to wear name tags. Not at all. I think what I'm trying to do is help everyone realize there are lots of ways to make people friendlier, whether it's a name tag, or smiling at strangers, or opening doors for people, or what have you.

But believe it or not, two of my cousins, Justin and Colin Deitrich, they started doing it a few months after I did. So they're in support of it.

COOPER: So you've milked this thing, I think, for almost all it's worth. You got a book out of it, got a lot of press. What else do you want to do with this name tag thing?

GINSBERG: I've begun motivational speaking, which is excellent because it allows me to talk about my message of approachability and friendliness to a wide audience. So I think that will be the next step.

MEADE: Did you say you intend to wear it until old age, until you're no longer with us?

GINSBERG: Until old age, until no age. I have actually vowed to have this on in my deathbed, in my coffin and everything. And I figure that would be a good way to go out.

MEADE: It must be catching on.

COOPER: Scott Ginsberg, we appreciate you joining us. Good luck to you in your name tag quest.

GINSBERG: Thank you. And I've got to, really quickly, just say hello to my brother, Steve Ginsberg, in Chicago.

MEADE: That was very nice of you.

COOPER: Thanks a lot, Scott.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com